As soon as the words left Rhodey's mouth, Tony's stomach dropped.
Rhodey had asked to turn Sam into a glider, so that he wouldn't be able to follow them anymore, but Tony feared that something was going to happen. It had gone over too smoothly so far.
But Vision shot and Sam looked back, tried to duck under the beam and for a split second Tony thought it had worked.
But then he heard Sam curse even though there was no comm to connect them, and he saw with horror that the backpack had caught fire.
The flames were licking up Sam's back, almost up to his head, and his wings crumbled when the inner circuitry was reduced to molten metal and plastic.
Sam tried to glide, to ride it out, even though the flames must be hurting him already, but they were so far up and Tony knew there was no way Sam could make it to the ground safely.
A second later something in the pack exploded and from then on it was a free fall for Sam.
The second it had happened Tony had gone after him, desperate to catch him, and Friday told him Rhodey was also on his way, but Sam was falling, falling beneath him and Tony stretched out his arm.
"Tony!" Sam yelled at the top of his lungs and Tony tried to be faster, put more into the repulsors, but they were already working on their maximum capacity and still Sam was falling down.
Tony faintly noticed that he was yelling as well, probably screaming Sam's name, and finally, finally Friday told him that he would make it; that he could catch Sam in time, if they kept this speed up.
Tony did, there was no thought about slowing down, his husband was falling to his death, there was no way he would hold back even the tiniest bit.
Tony made it, but the ground was already uncomfortably close and he didn't dare to slow down, didn't dare to alter his flight path to get under or next to Sam; instead he crushed right into him, pressed him close to his chest and turned around, trying to stop their fall.
Sam wasn't yelling or cursing anymore and the flames were strangely enough still burning, still hurting Sam, and Tony already feared for the worst.
But he didn't have time to worry about that because the ground was quickly approaching and they were still too fast, Sam wouldn't survive if they hit the ground like this, and Tony turned them even more, so that he would hit the ground first.
The impact was excruciating and Tony was almost certain he blacked out for a minute or five. When he came back to himself, Sam was lying across his chest, unmoving, unconscious and Tony couldn't breathe.
Rhodey was at their side a second later, gently prying Sam out of his clutches and Sam's head lolled around; Tony had to close his eyes at the sight. This couldn't be.
"He's alive, boss," came Friday's calm voice and it was like someone had started Tony's heart again.
"How bad is it?" he croaked and Friday started to rattle of some minor injuries; Tony needed a second to understand her mistake.
"Not mine," he pressed out and Friday fell silent.
"It's not good," she finally said and Tony had programmed her, he knew her code like he had known Jarvis' and this snapped him into action.
"Call someone, we need help, someone has to," he scrambled for words, but everything was a mess, a mess he had made, and he couldn't stand this.
"Already done, boss. Two more minutes."
It was too long, it could be too long; Tony didn't know what was wrong with Sam and he could die in two minutes.
Tony finally peeled himself out of the suit, not caring about his own bruises and broken bones, but when he turned towards Rhodey and Sam, he wished he was back in it, had that extra level of protection around him.
"Tones," Rhodey said when Tony reached with shaking hands for the still form of his husband. "Don't. We don't know what is wrong. Don't touch him. You could make it worse."
Tony heard the words but he didn't comprehend them, he needed to feel Sam's pulse, his breath under his hand to believe that he was still there, but before he could make contact, Rhodey caught his hand in his.
"Don't," he repeated and Tony looked up at him.
"I need to know," Tony sobbed and Rhodey squeezed his wrist.
"He is still alive, Tony. He is alive. Now we have to wait for help," Rhodey said and Tony felt like he couldn't breathe, like his heart would jump out of his chest or shrivel up or would stop beating if Sam's did, but Rhodey didn't let go of his hand.
"He is still alive."
Everything after that was a blur.
Tony was distantly aware that help finally came to them, paramedics kneeled down next to Sam, carefully taking stock of possible injuries and they pushed Tony out of the way; or maybe Rhodey pulled him aside, Tony wasn't sure. The only thing he knew was that they were about to take Sam away and he wouldn't be allowed to come as well.
"I'm his husband, " he managed somehow, but even his voice sounded distant to him. "I'm his husband, I have to come, you can't leave me here," he frantically told them and Rhodey soothed him.
"They know, Tony, they know. You'll be riding with them, they will not make you leave Sam's side."
Tony was so relieved that he lost a bit of time again, because the next thing he knew was that they were already on the road.
The paramedics were talking fast and throwing medical terms around, there was a beeping monitor that stopped in almost regular intervals and Tony feared that his heart would stop right along with it.
But they got Sam back, every time, and when they finally arrived at the hospital a team was already waiting for them.
They hurried Sam inside, and eventually there was a door where Tony wasn't allowed to follow them. A nurse told him he had to wait, that they would come and tell him about his husband's condition, and Tony couldn't even muster the energy to protest.
He let himself be steered towards the waiting room where he sat down and stared at nothing until Rhodey came in. Rhodey, who was closely followed by Ross.
"I hope this wasn't what you had in mind all along, Stark, because if so, I will throw you into the Raft as well," Ross coldly said and something in Tony snapped.
"How dare you?" he hissed and jumped up, right into Ross' face. "How dare you even suggest that. That is my husband you are talking about." Tony took a second to enjoy the surprise on Ross face before he went right on. "This was never supposed to happen, none of this, and I will do everything I can to stop you. You will not get your hands on Rogers or Barnes and you sure as hell will not get anywhere near my husband."
Ross stared at him but Tony wasn't afraid, not any longer. He had thought the worst that could happen was that someone had to give in, that the team would be split apart, but this? No, this was too much and Tony wouldn't stand for it a second longer.
Before Ross could say anything Rhodey pushed him away and out of the waiting room, not listening to his complains any longer, and Tony slumped back into the seat.
It felt like a life time before a doctor approached him.
"Mr. Stark," he started but before he could dive into pleasantries Tony interrupted him.
"How is he?" he whispered, afraid that whatever the doctor said next would make this real, but he also needed to know.
"Stable. He has severe burns on his back up to his head. The biggest problem were the broken rips; some pierced his lungs and one grazed his heart. But we got it under control, and he will heal with enough time."
"Broken bones," Tony repeated. "Where did he get those? The beam hit the backpack, there was no chance to get any broken bones."
"As far as I understood it, you caught him? That is most likely the cause," the doctor said matter-of-factly and Tony's heart dropped to his feet.
He had caused this. He had not only put his husband in danger, but he had also hurt him severely enough to nearly kill him.
Tony swayed on the spot, feeling faint and sick with how the room suddenly spun around him, and the doctor took his elbow, looking concerned.
"Are you alright, Mr. Stark?" he asked and Tony didn't know what he did, but it must have made it obvious just how not fine he was because the doctor gently sat him down again.
"I need you to breath, Mr. Stark. Your husband will make a full recovery, I can assure you that, and if it wasn't for you he would be dead right now. No matter if you broke some bones, in the end you saved his life."
Tony heard the words, but he had some trouble understanding them, but he got his breath back and the doctor nodded approvingly.
"If you would like to see him now," he stated and nodded down a corridor, "you can go to him."
Tony got up on autopilot, following him until they stopped in front of a room and the doctor nodded once at him before he left.
Tony rested his hand on the handle, but then he had to take a few seconds just to breathe, to prepare himself for what he was about to see behind the door.
Eventually he opened it, quickly stepping in before he could think better of it and it was only when he saw Sam, lying still on the white sheets, connected to several machines and infusions, that everything came crushing down on him.
Tears escaped his eyes and his breath hitched in his throat but he made his way to the bed.
There was a chair there and he took full advantage of it, heavily sitting down and then taking a moment to get his breath back under control.
That did nothing for his shaking hands though, but Tony still reached for Sam's, clutching it between his.
The monitor kept up his steady beeping, telling Tony that Sam was still alive, that his heart was not giving out every other minute now and he could almost breathe with that knowledge.
He must have fallen asleep at one point, because he woke up when the hand he still had between his moved.
Tony blearily looked up and was met with a drowsily blinking Sam.
"I'm so sorry," he sobbed out, and then just kept repeating it, over and over again until Sam lightly squeezed his hand.
"Saved my life," he croaked and Tony frantically shook his head.
"I almost killed you," he said, and Sam smiled at him.
"Better than definitely dead," he managed and Tony laughed between his tears, despite himself.
"Don't leave?" Sam asked when his eyes started to drop again and Tony quickly kissed his knuckles, over and over again.
"Never," he said and punctuated it with a kiss to the ring finger, where normally a simple gold band rested.
Sam made a content humming noise at that but he dozed off right afterwards.
Tony intertwined their fingers, almost curling around Sam's hand and he drifted off to the thought that his husband was not dead, and with the fragile hope that maybe it would be okay.